Winter Wedding

Picture by Kin Phan Ng: Log Cabin Church in Smyrna, GA

This winter in Atlanta has been colder than usual. It even came with a January snow storm that had the entire city going crazy for a week but also allowed beautiful pictures like the one taken above at the Log Cabin Church near my house (taken by my husband who walked from our house to the church in the snow).

We are now in February 2011 and it looks like another wintry mix is on the way. I thought it might be a good time to share a few tips on planning winter weddings.

(1) Weather

Obviously Atlanta has its share of "nice and warmer" winter days but it is best to plan for winter weather if you choose a winter wedding date.

This means having a shawl or jacket for the bride and the bridesmaids to keep the bridal party warm and plan to have pictures taken indoor by deciding in advance where you can do so at your venue.

You may also want to check with your vendors to see what is their plan in case of inclemental weather. If your vendors cannot show up, do you have a plan in mind?

Also, will you be ok if your out-of-town guests cannot make it on time to your wedding due to the weather?

I think the key here is to be mentally prepared so that you do not get too disappointed when the weather does not cooperate.

(2) Popular Wedding Dates in Winter

Despite the cold weather, there are certain popular wedding dates in winter.

For example, a lot of couples choose Valentine's Day weekend to get married. Prices for flowers tend to go up for this weekend due to the high demand so you may need to pay a higher rate or be flexible with your choice of flowers.

If you intend to plan a Chinese wedding, the weekend right before Chinese New Year is very popular too and there are only a limited number of Chinese restaurants in Atlanta that actually can accommodate a wedding banquet.

(3) Winter Discounts

On the other hand, winter months tend to be less busy for wedding professionals. If you are flexible with your wedding date, having a winter wedding can allow you to save some money.

For example, a lot of venues will lower the rental fee for winter months to fill their open dates.

Sometimes the discounts are not advertised but it does not hurt to ask the vendors.

(4) Plan around the Winter theme

If you have decided to have a winter wedding, you might as well embrace the theme.

Perhaps you can serve hot cocoa to the guests?

Use lots of candles for warmth an decoration if your venue allows.

Pick the flowers that are available in the winter months instead of paying extra for those that have to be shipped from warmer places.

With careful planning, you can have a beautiful winter wedding!